The Whisky Show 2018

The Whisky Show is run by The Whisky Exchange who not only have an online store that you can buy whisky, other spirits, beer, wine, glassware etc but they also have shop in Covent Garden.

For the second year in a row I’ve lucky enough to get a free ticket to attend the Trade & Press day of the event which is held on the Monday after the public show has been held over the weekend. You can read my write up about last years event HERE.

What I wanted to do in this post though is give some advice for anyone attending The Whisky Show 2018 based on my experience of this festival (and others).

1. Plan ahead!

Make sure you plan ahead! By that I mean a few things:

First make sure you know where you are going (address here) and how you are going to get there and back. The last things you need is to be panicking while you find the right underground line to take!

Also plan for when you are going to get there. Doors don’t open until 11:30am on Saturday and Sunday but aim to get there early as the queues will get long and you don’t want to be waiting outside for ages when you could be inside dramming it up.

Also make sure to check out The Whisky Show’s own page for planning your trip for the show HERE.

2. Eat!

Make sure to eat as you want to line your stomach before you start. A hearty breakfast is highly recommended but also make the most of the two-course meal included in your ticket price. There are also food and whisky pairings going on and a light snack here and there won’t hurt. On that note most (if not all) of the stands last year had oat cakes available as palate cleansers – these also help to soak up alcohol so again make the most of them.

3. Keep hydrated!

There are water coolers dotted around all over the festival hall and you get a branded tasting glass as part of your ticket. Not only does the water help to clean your glass between drams but also helps you keep hydrated. Make sure to drink lots of water as there is a lot of whisky to try and if you don’t keep hydrated you’ll soon feel the effect.

4. Dram Dram!

Pick a dream dram quick! For those who don’t know what a dream dram is here’s an explanation:

“Dream Drams are the rarest, most sought after whiskies at the show, which have a minimum RRP of £500. Each ticket includes one complimentary Dream Dram token, which can be redeemed at exhibitor stands, additional tokens are available for purchase at the show priced at £10 each. Dream Drams can sell-out quickly on the day, visitors are advised to sample these early. Please note that Dream Dram tokens are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.”

Dream drams will go fast so if you want something in particular get it quick to make sure you don’t miss out!

5. Have fun!

Most of all have fun! This is a great festival and a great experience. Everyone is friendly at the stands so be friendly back, ask questions and take your time with your rams to get the most of them. This isn’t about drinking as much as you can it’s about trying new things and enjoying anything you do try.

Now I started this with Plan ahead! but I’ll say this as a parting comment “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. No matter how hard you plan – checking the festival map, picking where you want to go and what you want to try etc once you get in there you will find yourself like a kid in a candy shop. There’s whisky everywhere and you’ll soon find your plans abandoned as you zig zag from stand to stand so if you really want to go to any stands in particular go there first while you’re still able to control your whisky loving urges!